These Feelings Never Change
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: Princess Annabeth has been friends with Prince Perseus since they met several years ago, and she couldn't imagine not having him in her life. But when their relationship needs to change, Annabeth isn't sure if she will be able to adjust. Just when she knows that she will, her world crashes down around her, and she's not sure if she will ever see Percy again. Royalty AU. Complete.


**A/N: This AU has taken me forever to write and it has literally killed me, so I hope that you guys like it. With that in mind, leave a review too so I know that you guys did like it. Also, this AU is full of symbolism and parallels, and I would love to see if you can pick anything out. **

**There is a new poll on my profile concerning some sequels. Go look at it ASAP!**

**And thanks so much for all of the awesome reviews that you guys leave me! I promise that I read them as soon as you leave them, even if I don't reply. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****_Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, _****or anything else that you recognize. I also don't own "Kaaowynn" or "Oceania." The plot is the only thing that belongs to me. **

okay i've had a very bad day why isn't there a line break come back now i'm not in the mood for this

_-10122014-_

The first time Princess Annabeth met a prince she was standing at her father's side on the opposite of her mother. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that was one of her favorites. Her tiara was sitting on top of her blonde curls that spilled down her back. She was smiling and standing quietly, answering when spoken to and remaining silent every other minute. She was being a perfect princess.

She was young enough that she barely reached her father's waist in height, but she had always acted older than a normal seven year old probably should. Her mother and father had always bragged on how mature and advanced she was for her age. She had already started her schooling, and now she was reading a few books by herself and coloring. The entire kingdom of Kaaowynn was proud of how well she was growing up.

As far as Annabeth understood, she was standing with her parents, the king and queen of Kaaowynn, as they greeted several hundred people. Her mother had explained earlier that day that they were hosting a ball in celebration of the birth of Annabeth's new brothers.

Annabeth straightened when she felt her father's hand on her shoulder. He bent down to her height and pointed at three people who were walking toward them.

There were two adults that were wearing clothes a bit like her mother and father wore. They were both wearing crowns on their heads, and the man had a crest on his shirt. In between the man and woman, there was a boy that looked to be about the same age as her. He was about as tall as she was, and he had thick black hair that was sticking up in one spot behind his ear. The boy was wearing an outfit that looked similar to the man's, and now that she looked between them she realized that they must have been a family.

"Do you recognize that symbol, Annabeth?" Her father asked.

She looked at him and nodded, "Oceania. The kingdom nearest to us. Those people are the king and queen, and that boy must be their son."

Her father looked impressed, "Very good. They are very excited to meet you. Prince Perseus is your age and the heir to the Oceania throne."

Annabeth nodded and continued studying the boy coming toward them as her father stood back up. The boy was slouching slightly, and he had a hold on his mother's hand. He looked like he was listening to something that the older man was saying. It must have been funny because the boy grinned.

"King Poseidon! Queen Sally!" Annabeth's father said loudly and happily. "Welcome! It's been too long."

Her dad shook the older man's hand as he said, "It has indeed, Frederick! You and your family look well."

"We are well and very happy about the birth of our sons," her dad said. He was smiling proudly.

The other man laughed, "Ah, yes. And where are the princes of Kaaowynn?"

Her dad motioned behind her mother, who was standing off to the side and holding either Bobby or Matthew (Annabeth couldn't tell them apart) while the other woman was holding the other one of them.

"If you're not careful, Poseidon, then you're going to have more as well," her dad said with a slight laugh.

Annabeth noted that his name must have been Poseidon. He laughed too and said, "Oh, I don't think so. We've got enough with Perseus here, right, son?"

The boy, Perseus apparently, made a face at his dad that made the older man laugh, "Dad, it's _Percy." _

"You and that nickname," Poseidon said, shaking his head. "Perseus, this is King Frederick of Kaaowynn."

Perseus looked up to her dad and then bowed lightly, "Pleasure to meet you, my lord."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows in shock at his manners. He wasn't any older than her, but he seemed well mannered.

"Hello, Prince Perseus," her dad said. He put his hand back on her shoulder, "This is Princess Annabeth, my daughter."

"Hi," she said, smiling lightly.

"Hi, princess," Perseus answered quietly.

"Frederick, we _must _have a celebration in Oceania soon. We cannot forgo each other's company for so long again," Poseidon said.

Her dad hummed in agreement, "Of course. We would be delighted to attend."

The people that were shuffling past Poseidon and his family were looking toward Annabeth's brothers in excitement and disappointment. Since they were here, the people of Kaaowynn weren't getting to greet their new princes like they wanted to.

Poseidon noticed it one second after Annabeth did, and he said, "We will see you at the ball, Frederick. Come along, Sally. Let us move on so the people of Kaaowynn may meet their princes."

The other woman, Sally, handed Annabeth's brother (whichever one he was) off to the other handmaiden standing behind her mother before following after her king and son. She smiled lightly at Annabeth as she grasped her son's hand.

When they were a few feet away, Prince Perseus turned back around to her and waved. Annabeth waved back.

Ω

For the next several years, Princess Annabeth saw Prince Perseus at least twice a year. Once was at her birthday party in July, and the next was his birthday party in August. Sometimes there were other events that either they held in Kaaowynn or attended in Oceania, but she knew for sure that she would see him twice in the summer.

And during the summer, she found herself anticipating those two events with something that felt like excitement. She liked seeing him and talking to him. She thought that they could become good friends.

She had met a few other princes over the years, but none of them had impressed her as much as Percy had. Most of the others were snobby and stuck-up, like they knew that they were better than a lot of the people that were in the room. Annabeth didn't like that about most of them. She thought that it was very rude.

Since she was a princess, she didn't have many friends. Her brothers were too little to be considered friends, and apparently, it wasn't proper for her to befriend anyone beneath her social status. So that meant that she didn't have anyone except for her new horse (her mother and father had given Feather to her last spring) and her handmaiden. She liked most of the servants, so if her parents weren't paying attention, sometimes she would enjoy their company.

So technically, Prince Perseus was her only real friend. He was the only one that she was allowed to be friends with.

Percy, however, had a lot of friends.

She was currently at his fourteenth birthday party in Oceania. There were several other guests here from several other kingdoms, and Annabeth was surprised at the amount of princes and princesses that were present. She seemed like a small shadow in comparison to some of the other guests.

The ball room was filled with people. There were kings and queens, knights and soldiers, lords and ladies and princes and princesses enjoying the party. There was a set of musicians off to the side, and the floor was filled with couples dancing.

Annabeth was dancing with some prince that was almost twice her age that she had never met. He kept talking to her, and she found his voice rather annoying. His hands were too tight on her waist. She hardly felt like it was appropriate for her to be dancing with this idiot, but it would have been crazy for her to decline his invitation without a proper reason.

A smooth voice cut in during a rather boring story about onions and agriculture. Someone right beside her said, "May I cut in?"

She glanced over and sighed in relief when she found Prince Perseus standing at her side, holding his hand out and staring at the other prince. Even though the other boy was older, he hurriedly let go of Annabeth and placed her hand in Percy's. The prince bowed to her before shuffling away and through the other people.

Percy gently took her waist, and his grip felt so much better than before. He spun her around before pulling her back to him.

"Thank god," she muttered. "His voice was giving me a headache."

Percy laughed. His eyes were sparkling, "You're welcome, princess. Having fun?"

"Now I am," she said. "I haven't seen you at all."

"I know. I've danced with literally every princess here tonight, and I am exhausted," he said.

Annabeth looked around the room for a few seconds before she said, "I know that we're supposed to get along with these other princes and princesses, but most of them just get on my nerves."

"You're telling me," Percy said, twirling her again. "If I could have just invited you then that would have been way better. Most of these other princesses only like me because I'll be king one day. That would give them an automatic throne. Plus, I'm cool and stuff."

She laughed lightly, and Percy spun her around again, pulling her back quickly. He was smiling widely, and he looked happier than she had seen him all night.

Annabeth could see her parents standing off to the side with Percy's mother and father. All four of them were laughing and smiling. They kept looking over toward her and Percy, and after she met her father's gaze for the second time, she knew.

"They're talking about us," she said to Percy.

"Who?" He asked, not even bothering to glance around. He was too busy staring at her.

She rolled her eyes and nodded her head toward their parents. She said, "Our parents. And probably everybody else in the room seeing as you've danced with me for two songs now and you've only given every other princess one."

He laughed loudly and smiled at her, "That's okay. At least everybody knows who my favorite is."

She kicked him in the shin (not something that she probably should have done) but Percy just laughed and twirled her in a circle again. She tried to hide her smile, so she bit her lip.

Just as the third song that they had been dancing to ended, another princess from a different kingdom (Annabeth didn't recognize this girl, but she seemed to be their age) tapped on Percy's shoulder and said, "May I cut in, Prince?"

Annabeth was already pulling away, smiling lightly at Percy, but he didn't let go of her hand. They stopped dancing, and Percy bowed to the other princess. He said, "I'm sorry, my lady, but I am afraid that I am rather tired of dancing. I apologize."

She was surprised to see him declining an invite, and she still didn't believe it when he started to pull her away from the dance floor. With a shock, she realized that he was heading toward their parents.

When they got there, Percy bowed to her parents and asked, "King Frederick, would it be improper of me to ask to take your daughter on a walk?"

He pretended to think for a second, but he ended up smiling, "I think that will be okay, Prince Perseus."

"Thank you, my lord," Percy said, standing and taking Annabeth's arm. As they walked to the door, he waved to one of the guards and he followed them out.

Annabeth pretended that she didn't hear their parents talking excitedly about the two of them. She also hid her smile until they got outside.

Percy led them along a path that was close to the ocean. Annabeth could hear the waves crashing against the shore the farther they got away from the party. When the sounds from the party faded altogether, Percy stopped to lean against the wall.

His hand slipped away from her arm, and he grasped her fingers tightly instead. He had never just held her hand for no reason before, but Annabeth thought it was very nice. She also thought that maybe she could stand out here with Percy for the rest of her life.

She broke the silence when she said, "Your party was really nice."

"Thanks," he said, staring out at the ocean. "I'm glad you had fun. I'm kind of mad that I didn't get to see you at all until now, but that's okay."

Annabeth laughed softly, and she saw Percy smile.

They stood in silence for a few more minutes. It wasn't necessarily awkward (most things with Percy weren't awkward) but she only saw him a few times a year. She wanted to talk to him as much as she could while she had the chance.

"What do you think our parents were talking about?" Percy asked suddenly, beating her to speaking.

"Us," she said.

He finally looked at her, and he was smiling softly. "What about us?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "They probably want us to get married."

Annabeth smiled as Percy broke out laughing. He gripped her hand a little tighter and bent his head down. His shoulders were still shaking from laughing so hard.

"Gracious, Annabeth," he said breathlessly.

There was another pause before he leaned back up and looked at her. He reached out and pushed one of her curls behind her ear. His hand hesitated on her cheek. "Would it be bad if I said that this walk with you has been the best moment I've had all day?"

She felt herself blush. She shook her head and said, "No, it would be nice."

"This walk has been the best moment of my day," he said.

Annabeth laughed softly and leaned a little closer to him. He smelled like mints and the ocean.

"Percy?" She asked.

He shifted his gaze back up to her eyes, "Yes?"

"Can I give you something? A birthday present?"

He looked confused, "But you already gave me a present, didn't you? I saw you bring one in."

"This is something else," she said.

"Oh," he said, looking just as confused as before. "Sure."

Annabeth smiled and bit her lip for a second before she moved even closer to him. Her chest was barely brushing his, and Annabeth could feel his arms limp at his side. Annabeth put on of her hands on his cheek and turned his head toward hers. She leaned up slowly and gently pressed her lips to his other cheek, letting her lips linger on his skin for half of a second before she stepped back.

Percy stared at her blankly for a full minute before he grinned wildly. He took her hand again and smiled at her. He turned back to the ocean and said, "Best present I've ever gotten."

She smiled and laughed shyly, bumping his hip with her own.

Ω

She was getting to see Percy today, but it was not a happy occasion.

Annabeth gripped her father's arm. She was holding onto his elbow tightly. Her mother was on his other side. She knew that they were both wearing very serious expressions right now, and she no doubt mirrored them.

And it was probably appropriate considering they were attending a royal funeral. The king from their neighboring kingdom, Oceania, had been in a shipwreck. There were no survivors.

Luckily (Annabeth doesn't like that word in this case because none of this is lucky at all) Percy had not been on the same ship as his father. When she had first heard about the accident, her heart had nearly stopped. Percy, her _best friend_, had died? There was no way. She had been crying and ready to curl up in a ball and _die_, but then they had gotten word that Percy was okay.

Her world had straightened around her again when she realized that Percy was alive. There had been something wrong when she thought about a world without Percy in it. She was surprised that she felt like that, but over the last few years, Percy had come to mean a lot to her.

Annabeth was sixteen now. Since they had gotten a little older, more contact between the two of them was appropriate. She was used to seeing Percy a few more times a year, and every time that she did she never wanted to stop seeing him. She wondered if that was how other people felt about their friends.

She absentmindedly straightened her tiara. Her mother—the Queen of Kaaowynn— always wanted her to look very nice. She always told Annabeth that the princess of a kingdom needed to represent her country well.

"You look very nice, Annabeth," her father commented, quietly. "Don't fidget. The queen and prince are upset enough without seeing us upset as well."

"Yes, Father," she answered automatically, straightening her posture to stand at her full height.

Her father had been crowned King of Kaaowynn when he had turned sixteen. He had been wedded to her mother within the next few years, and soon they had given birth to Annabeth. She was sure that she had been a disappointment at first (because she wasn't a boy) but they weren't upset for long. Just before Annabeth's seventh birthday her mother had given birth to twin boys.

Prince Matthew and Prince Bobby had been left at home to guard over Kaaowynn. In case their family ran into trouble, there needed to be an heir ready to take the throne. And they were too young to attend anyway.

Her father led them to the front of the hall, and all three of them bowed deeply at the empty coffin before shuffling over to an empty spot. The people of Oceania were already mourning the loss of their king, and they were walking by and bowing to his coffin. Most of them weren't allowed to speak to either the queen or the prince, but Annabeth's family was.

"Queen Sally," her father greeted. His voice was low and warm, like a fire that was burning by the embers. "We are truly sorry for your loss. He was a great man."

Percy's mother nodded sadly, and Annabeth could see how red and puffy her eyes were. Her voice shook when she said, "Yes. Thank you, King Frederick. It is very admirable that you and your family came from Kaaowynn to express your concern."

Annabeth's mother was a little less formal. She gently grasped Sally's hands and said, "My lady, please send word if you and Prince Perseus need anything. Any way we can be of assistance would be our pleasure."

She smiled through a few tears, "Thank you. Let me get Percy," she turned to the servants that were standing at her side and motioned to one. "He will be honored that you are here."

"How is he doing?" Her father asked. "I'm assuming that he is being crowned."

"No, he's not being crowned yet. Our council decided to wait until he was wedded to give him the throne. However, he will be taking over everything slowly, just to make sure that he is not overwhelmed without his father being here to—" she stuttered to a stop before she took a deep breath to continue. "He withdrew from his service in the navy after he saw his father's ship go down. He is not well right now, but he knew that the mission they were on could end in death. His father warned them about that before they left. That is the reason they were on two separate ships," she said. "Ah, there is Percy."

Annabeth let her eyes shift over to him, and she held back a grimace. On the outside he looked okay. He was wearing a standard blue and gold warrior suit. He had the crest of Oceania on his chest, and he had his sword tied to his belt, hanging from his side. Someone had managed to calm his black hair so it was all lying to one side. He was standing up straight and walking like there wasn't anything wrong in the world, but Annabeth could see that his green eyes were bloodshot. He had a small scratch on the corner of his forehead, like he had hit it too hard on something.

"Prince Perseus," her father said with a slight bow. "I hope you are doing well."

He bowed to her father and mother before gently taking Annabeth's hand and planting a small kiss there. He straightened and said, "I am coping. Thank you for coming."

"We will have a celebration in your honor in Kaaowynn when you are crowned."

"Thank you for your support, my lord," Percy set his hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mother, will you be alright if I step out for a bit? I need to take a quick walk before the ceremony begins."

Queen Sally smiled tightly, "Of course, dear. Go ahead."

Percy looked at Annabeth for a second before his eyes flitted back to her father, "My lord, would it be improper of me to ask for your daughter's presence on my walk?"

Annabeth knew what her father was going to say before he said it. "Of course not, Perseus."

"Thank you," Percy said, taking Annabeth's arm gently. "I will return her to your hand before the ceremony."

Percy kept her arm, and they slowly walked out of the throne room. Several of the people of Oceania tried to speak to him, but he just patted them on their shoulders and kept walking.

Once they were out of the castle, a guard started to follow a few yards behind them, but Percy waved him away. Annabeth bit her lip. It was odd that he did that. When they went on walks any other time, Percy made sure that they had at least two chaperones with them. He must not have been too worried about it today.

Neither of them said anything until they were at the gates of the palace, and even then, Percy just kept pulling on her arm until they were down on the shore and next to the water.

Annabeth gently kicked off her shoes and let her arm slide out of Percy's. She gathered the bottom of her dress in her hands so she could wade into the water without getting her dress wet.

"I think it would have been worse if I hadn't been there when it happened," he said finally.

She had been waiting on his to say something about it.

She said, "Then it would have just been like someone was telling you that it had happened. You wouldn't have ever believed it."

He nodded, "I'm glad someone understands. I haven't been able to talk to anyone about it."

"You feel like you have to be strong for everybody else because you're going to be king one day," Annabeth said.

Percy looked at her like she had just read his mind, "Where have you been? This is what I have needed for the past five days, and then I don't even have to ask for it. You are—"

Annabeth smiled and walked back over to him, holding her hand out for him. He grasped her fingers and stepped a little closer to her.

"How do you know all of this stuff?" He asked. His voice was small, unlike his usual personality.

She shrugged, "I know you. But, Percy, you don't have to be strong all of the time. I mean, you kind of do for your mother and your people, but right now, it's just me. I can be strong enough for both of us."

Suddenly, Percy pulled her way closer than what would have been proper, but Annabeth didn't care. He had his head on her shoulder, and she was pretty sure that he was shaking. She held on to him tightly, gripping his head with one hand and his back with the other. The only sounds that she could hear were Percy's breathing and the waves crashing on the shore.

After a few more minutes, Percy pulled back up. One of his arms snaked around her waist, and he held her closer than ever.

"Thank you, Annabeth," he said softly. "I really needed that."

She smiled just as softly, "Of course. I'm always here for you. I may not be able to be strong like you have to be, but I promise I can be strong enough for both of us whenever I need too."

His expression softened, and Annabeth thought that he was smiling, "You are perfect."

"Well, I'll have you know that I'm a princess," she said, tapping him on the nose. "Of course I'm perfect."

Percy laughed lightly, and Annabeth was glad that she could make him smile.

She moved her fingers up to his forehead and gently touched his cut, "What happened?"

"I was on the sister ship that my father was on, and when it started to go down, I tried to help them. Of course, my two royal guards held me down because apparently we couldn't risk losing the heir to the throne in case my father died. Sure, it makes sense now, but I was so angry right then, I went kind of crazy and hit my head on the guy's helmet," he explained.

Annabeth frowned and moved her hand into his hair, messing up how it laid perfectly. Now some of it was sticking up in that one spot behind his ear like it always did.

"I don't want to go back," Percy whispered, leaning his head down against her shoulder.

"I know," she said softly.

She let Percy hold onto her for a few more minutes. He was still shaking, but she could tell that he was trying to calm down. Annabeth kept her arms around him and her hand in his hair until he was breathing easier.

It had been long enough. Someone was going to come looking for them soon.

"Percy," Annabeth said gently. "We need to go back."

He sighed loudly and nodded, pulling back up and squaring his shoulders. He said, "Okay. I'm ready."

Annabeth held his hand all the way back and through the entire service. After Percy had faced his people and buried his father's empty casket, he cried on her shoulder. Annabeth held him and cried with him.

Ω

She recognized the sails from Oceania immediately, and when she saw a head of black hair walking down the ramp, she started running down the docks toward him.

Prince Perseus was standing on the dock, speaking with one of the lords of his kingdom. He looked as glorious as he always did. Since he was going to be crowned in a few weeks, he was wearing nicer clothes now, and he always had two or three men shadowing him. He still carried his sword at his belt, but Annabeth knew that he only used it to practice with. And besides, he thought that it made him look cool when he wore it. He was nodding along to whatever the other man was saying, and he seemed like he was focused on what the man was saying. While she was running, she noted that this ship wasn't very big so there must not have been a lot of people on it.

Annabeth wondered why he hadn't mentioned a trip to Kaaowynn in any of his letters. After his father's funeral almost half of a year ago, they had started writing each other letters that came with the trade ships. Annabeth had a stack of them tucked in her desk drawer in her quarters back at the castle. But why hadn't he said anything about coming to Kaaowynn? Surely nothing was wrong?

"Percy!" She shouted as she got close enough.

He turned and when his eyes found her, he grinned. He ran toward her, held his arms out, and scooped her up off of the ground. He smelled like the ocean. He hugged her quickly, spinning around a few times before he set her on the ground again.

"Hello, Princess," he said warmly, grasping her hand and bowing slightly.

"Hi," she breathed. Her face felt like it would tear in half because her smile was so big. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled too, "Surprise visit. I didn't know that I was coming until two days ago. Not enough time to send you another letter. But," he grinned wider and pulled something out of his pocket. "I brought you this."

Percy held a pearl necklace in his hands. It was beautiful, and Annabeth had always loved pearls. She never had a necklace of them though, and she would bet anything that these were real. She traced over it with her fingertips and looked up at him.

"It's straight out of our ocean. I handpicked it from one of my favorite trading merchants. I thought you might like it," Percy said.

"I love it," she said, smiling at him. "Put it on me?"

She turned so Percy could clasp the necklace around her neck, and she grinned when he took extra time to sweep her hair out of the way. His fingers fluttered across her skin on her shoulders and upper back.

"There," he said as she turned back around. "It looks beautiful."

"Thank you," she said. "I love it."

He smiled again, "Good. I'm glad."

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

A look passed over his face, but it was gone before Annabeth had time to decipher it. She almost asked him what he was thinking, but he started talking before she could.

"I have some business with your father, actually."

She was confused, "My father?"

"Yes, and that is all that I can tell you," he said with a laugh. She must have had a scowl on her face. "Would you be interested in walking me to the castle?"

Ω

She was running down the stone hall, dodging the servants that were carrying trays and the maids that were carrying baskets. Her skirts were flowing out behind her, and she was trying to tie her hair up as she ran.

Her father had summoned her almost an hour ago. She had been at the stables, tending to her horse and practicing with her knife. She wasn't supposed to be doing that either. Her mother thought that it was incredibly improper, but her father never made it a big deal because Annabeth did a lot of things. He always said that as long as the only "improper" thing she was doing was practicing her knife skills and petting her horse then they were doing well. He knew that she had an adventurous side about her, and he supported her. Most of the time.

It had been nearly a week since Percy had been in Kaaowynn. She still had no idea why he had been here, and he hadn't given her any hints. She had asked her mother and father, but neither of them had said anything about it. When she had asked, they had given her an amused smile and shrugged, saying that it had just been some business that she didn't need to worry with. She couldn't help but think that it had something to do with her, but she knew her place and she didn't press for answers when they weren't already given.

Annabeth finally rounded the Great Hall, and entered the throne room, slowing her breathing as she approached her mother and father. She smoothed out her skirts and set her face to a perfect smile, greeting them with a slight bow.

"Hello Father, Mother," she said loudly. Her mother had taught her to keep her voice loud and to be outspoken with her opinions. It added to the appearance of confidence.

They both smiled warmly at her as they appraised her.

"Annabeth," her mother started, raising an eyebrow. "You took longer than expected. We sent for you some time ago."

She smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Mother. I was down in the stables when you sent for me."

Her mother frowned, "Annabeth—"

Thankfully her father interrupted. He grinned at his daughter and set his hand on his wife's. "Darling, leave it alone. Our daughter does everything that we ask. This is the one thing that we will give her."

"Thank you, Father," Annabeth said.

"But still!" Her mother said again. "A princess should not be parading with animals and throwing knives in her day skirts!"

"Mother," Annabeth started carefully. "Being skilled with a knife is an art."

Her mother started to say something else, but her father interrupted again. "Stop. We are not here to discuss this. Annabeth is free to keep practicing with her knife as long as her teacher keeps reporting that her school work is going well."

Annabeth sent him a small smile.

"Now," he started. "We are here to talk about something else. As you know, child, the customs of our country will only allow a queen to be crowned if that family line has no male heirs. It would be a privilege to crown you as our queen, but as you know, you have two younger brothers."

Annabeth did know that. She had always known that however much she wanted to be crowned queen, one of her younger brothers would be crowned instead. It had never bothered her (okay, maybe it had just a little) but she didn't understand why her father was mentioning this now.

"You also know that you are turning seventeen this summer and—"

"Father," Annabeth interrupted. She shouldn't have been so rude, but her father was jabbering around the announcement he was going to make. "Please. Tell me what this is about."

"A prince has asked for your hand," he said plainly a few seconds later.

She didn't know what to say, but before she could stop herself, she said, "_What?"_

"Oh, sweetheart," her mother said, waving her hand. "Your father and I had an arranged marriage when I was fifteen. I thought we had waited too long for you, but this marriage looks promising."

"_Marriage?"_ Annabeth asked. "To whom? I don't want to be married to some total stranger! I don't—"

"Princess Annabeth!" Her mother scolded, but Annabeth could see the apology in her eyes. "You will do your duty to your kingdom, and you will not object to an order that your father gives you. He has been good to you, letting you wait this long, and you will not refuse."

"Yes, Mother," she said automatically. She knew that her face and voice were both flat. "When is the wedding?"

Her father studied her for a few moments before he said, "Two days. The party from Oceania will be here tomorrow to celebrate your engagement."

"Oceania?" Annabeth asked. Her voice had gone quiet. "But that's—"

Her father and mother both grinned, "Yes. Prince Perseus has asked for your hand."

Ω

Princess Annabeth was going to punch Prince Perseus in the stomach the next time that she saw him.

After her parents had announced that she was going to be wedded to Percy in the next week, a few things clicked into place. Percy was in Kaaowynn asking for her hand last week. He hadn't told her because he wanted it to be a surprise.

Well, she was surprised.

Her mother ruffled her skirts and straightened Annabeth's hair and tiara. She was obviously fretting over how Annabeth looked right now, even though she had picked out everything and helped her into it.

Annabeth was wearing one of her best dresses. It was a light blue color, and it was so heavy Annabeth had to be careful not to fall over. Her handmaiden, Hazel, had braided her hair and tucked it up with her tiara, exposing her neck and collarbone.

Her father grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her away from Annabeth. He smiled at both of them and said, "Mia, leave her alone. You're just making her more nervous than she needs to be. She looks beautiful."

Annabeth's mother looked over at her and sniffled, "I know, my lord. She is very beautiful."

Annabeth smiled lightly and set her eyes on the ship in front of her, hoping that her hands would stop shaking.

The ship from Oceania was as big as any that Annabeth had ever seen. The sails had the Oceania crest on it, and the whole ship itself rang of wealth. There were a couple people already exiting the boat and walking down the ramp to the ground. Several of the lords and ladies were greeted by the servants and pointed in the direction of the castle. Annabeth recognized Percy's mother, Queen Sally, as she exited the ship. She was walking slowly beside a set of men in armor.

There he was.

Prince Perseus was walking a few paces behind his mother and a few other men and women. He was paying attention to where he was putting his feet, studying the ramp. He was wearing a blue traditional outfit with the crest of Oceania on his chest. He had a sword hanging from his belt, and his walk was full of confidence, even if he wasn't the most graceful person. He finally looked up, and when his bright green eyes met Annabeth's gray ones, he smiled widely, revealing a crooked smile and a perfect pair of teeth. She could remember when they used to be crooked.

That was when it struck Annabeth. She was going to marry Percy. She was going to be married to him for the rest of her life. She was going to stand beside him, rule a country with him, sit on a throne with him, and sleep in a bed with him. Forever.

Somehow, it didn't seem that bad.

She grinned at him and had to physically hold herself back to keep from running into his arms. That probably wouldn't have been appropriate.

Before she knew it, Percy and Queen Sally were both standing in front of her. Percy had his back to them, conversing with a man from his ship. He finished quickly, and then he turned around to her.

"Welcome, Prince Perseus and Queen Sally," her father began warmly. "I hope your journey was well."

"It was," Percy assured him, letting his eyes flit back to Annabeth several times. "Thank you for having us here in Kaaowynn."

"Of course," Kind Frederick said. He opened his arms. "And what wonderful circumstances we are gathering under, eh?"

Percy chuckled, "It is, indeed."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at both of them. They were being ridiculous.

"Well," Annabeth's mother said with a flourish. "Let's get to the castle. I imagine that Prince Perseus and Queen Sally are quite tired from the journey. And there are still some preparations to be made for the engagement ball tonight."

Queen Sally nodded and smiled warmly at Annabeth, "Yes. It sounds wonderful."

Percy finally smiled at her, and he stepped forward, bowing slightly and holding out his arm. Annabeth thought that it was a little overkill, (considering that they had acted less formal in each other's presence before) but most of the kingdom was watching them right now, so it would hardly be appropriate if she jumped into his arms and hugged him.

Annabeth smiled back, and if she wasn't so ridiculously happy, she would be ready to throw up from how cliché this whole thing was. But, she had gotten _so _lucky that Percy had wanted to marry her.

Of course she liked Percy, when she was around him she was smiling constantly, and the world just seemed like a better place if he was standing next to her. He was a great friend, and she knew that he really cared about her. But, she hadn't really ever thought about having Percy as a _husband. _

For some reason, she didn't think that it would take too much effort for her to fall in love with him.

"Princess Annabeth," Percy greeted. There was something in his gaze, and Annabeth thought that he might have been smirking. Yeah. She was going to punch him as soon as they were alone.

"Prince Perseus," Annabeth replied with the same tone.

"Would you grace me with your presence on our walk to the castle?" Percy asked, reaching for her arm.

She nodded, "Yes."

They followed behind their parents, who had already begun the walk up to the castle. Most of the people of Kaaowynn were standing in the streets watching, and there were a few guards following behind and around Annabeth and her family. She waved to a few people, but when she thought that the crowds were starting to thin out a little, she relaxed.

"Is this okay?" Percy asked suddenly.

Annabeth looked over to him when she heard the doubt in his voice. He was looking straight ahead as they walked, and his arm was steady on hers. He didn't seem nervous, but Annabeth had known him long enough that she could tell he was.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Are you sure?" Percy asked, not meeting her gaze. "I can cancel the wedding if you want me to. I know that I should have asked you first, but… I wanted to surprise you. But if you don't want this then just tell me and we can—"

Annabeth stopped walking and put her hand on his cheek, turning his chin until he had to meet her eyes. She smiled up at him softly and said, "No, Percy. I want this. Stop worrying."

He let out a long sigh, and he looked relieved. He said, "Really?"

"Yes, now stop fretting and help me get through this engagement party without gutting someone with my knife," she said, letting go of him and tugging him behind her as she started walking again. "We won't ever get married if I end up in the dungeon because I stabbed someone that tried to dance with you."

Ω

She made it through the engagement ball without stabbing anyone, which she should be given an award for. There were people everywhere coming up to her and congratulating her and touching her and—it was just too much for Annabeth. But somehow she had managed to stay relaxed as long as Percy had his arm looped through hers.

And it really wasn't that bad after all of the people of Kaaowynn had _individually _congratulated them. Once the music had started playing, and Percy had twirled her out onto the middle of the floor, it had actually been fun. Then again, anything with Percy was fun, and just the way that he was looking at her tonight made it worth all of the commoners and other people.

The only downfall had been that Annabeth hadn't gotten to spend any time alone with Percy. Of course, it wasn't proper at all, but that didn't mean that she couldn't wish for it. Still, in barely a day then she would get to spend all day with him and it be appropriate. She could last that long for sure.

Right now, Annabeth was on her way back to her quarters after her fitting. Once the engagement ball had ended, her mother had taken her straight to be measured for her wedding dress (which apparently had already been made once Percy had asked for her hand almost two weeks ago). It was really beautiful. Her seamstress had designed it like most of her other dresses, but it was so much better. Annabeth was even going to wear the pearl necklace that Percy had given her.

It was very late. Moonlight was already spilling in through the open windows of the castle as Annabeth made her way back to her quarters and—

This would be the last time she did that.

Tomorrow all of her belongings would be boxed up and on their way back to Oceania on one of the trade ships. After the wedding, Annabeth herself would be on one of those ships, headed to the place where she would spend the rest of her life. She was going to have to leave everything that she had ever known and go somewhere where she didn't know anything or anybody. How was she going to do this?

But. She was going to have Percy. He was going to be there to keep her steady, right? He was going to be there for her. So technically, she would know somebody.

Annabeth sighed heavily and leaned against the stone near a window. This was one of the higher up walkways in the castle, which was coincidentally one of Annabeth's favorite places. She loved to be able to look out at night and see all of Kaaowynn down to the ocean and over to the Great Forest. She loved to look out over the kingdom and know that it was all hers.

After tomorrow it wouldn't be.

"Annabeth," someone said suddenly.

She jumped slightly and whirled around, trying to find the person that was speaking to her. It was too late for other people to be out in the castle so it had to be—

Annabeth watched as Percy stepped out of the shadows. He was smiling lightly, but the look in his eyes was intense.

"Percy, what are you doing here?" She asked.

He shrugged and came closer, reaching out and setting his hand on her upper arm. "I wanted to see you."

"We're getting married tomorrow," she said jokingly. "You couldn't wait?"

"No," he said, tracing his fingers down her arm to he could hold her hand.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked back out the window, glancing over Kaaowynn and letting her gaze settle on the ocean.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully.

"Me too," Percy said. He was watching her face instead of looking out of the window, but Annabeth didn't meet his gaze.

There was a pause between them. The silence felt nice for once that night, and she wasn't willing to interrupt it.

After a few more seconds, Annabeth felt Percy trace his other hand up her arms and around her jaw. His fingertips were dragging slowly across her face, and Annabeth looked up at him.

"I'm really excited too, though," Percy whispered.

She smiled, "Yes. My wedding dress is really pretty. I'm wearing the necklace that you gave me too."

He smiled softly, but his eyes were shining. He shifted a little closer to her, and Annabeth set one of her hands on his shoulders. He said, "That's great. I can't wait to see it."

She didn't know what else to say, but after a few more minutes of silence, something like sadness fell over her. Before she could stop herself, she said, "I'm going to miss it here."

"I'm sorry," Percy said immediately.

She shrugged, "There isn't anything to be sorry about. I knew that it would happen eventually, and at least I got you, right?"

"Still. I'm sorry."

She smiled, "Thank you."

"Annabeth?" Percy asked, reaching out and carefully winding one of his arms around her waist. "You know that we're getting married tomorrow."

"Yes," she said, rolling her eyes, but wondering where he was going with this.

"And we haven't even kissed yet," he said.

She looked up at him and studied his face. He was staring at her, and his eyes were filled with happiness and excitement.

Annabeth shrugged and slipped her other arm around his neck. "Most people don't kiss until they are married."

"I know that, but it doesn't seem very romantic if your first kiss is in front of more than two hundred people," Percy said. His eyebrows scrunched together like he was confused or unhappy.

She considered it for a minute. It wouldn't be romantic at all for their first kiss to be at the wedding, but they weren't getting married because of romance. They were getting married because Percy needed a wife before he could be crowned king of Oceania. Annabeth just filled in that slot because she was Percy's friend. They weren't here because they were in love with each other.

"That's not why we are getting married," she said softly. There was a catch in her voice that she hoped he would get.

He did thankfully. He sighed and pulled her a little closer to him, "That doesn't mean that I don't want it to be."

She finally smiled at him, "Then kiss me."

Percy grinned for half of a second before he pressed his lips to hers gently.

Annabeth had never been kissed by anyone, and in that moment, she thought that she never wanted to be kissed by anyone other than Percy. His lips were soft against hers, and he was kissing her like she was everything to him. It wouldn't be hard to fall in love with him if everything else was like this.

They pulled back after a moment, and Annabeth was smiling brilliantly. She leaned up and kissed him quickly before she stepped back and bid him goodnight.

She fell asleep that night with the memory of Percy's lips on hers and the sound of his voice whispering goodnight.

Ω

Annabeth was eating an apple as she walked back to the castle. She had gone down to the stables to visit her horse, Feather, but when she had gotten there, he hadn't been there. The stable master had caught her right before she had panicked and told her that Percy had already bought him and put him back on a ship for Oceania. She had smiled so wide right then, promising herself that she would kiss him later just for that.

It was the morning of the wedding, and she was really nervous. She wasn't going to get to see Percy until the wedding tonight, so that definitely wasn't helping her mood. And when she got back to the castle, her mother would probably be in an uproar about her wandering off when she should be getting ready.

"Princess Annabeth!" Someone called, making her wince.

"I'm right here," she answered, increasing her pace to find the voice.

When she rounded the corner that led to the gates, she saw a blonde haired guard with a sword drawn. He was standing in front of the gate, and when he saw her, he rushed forward.

"The queen sent me to find you, princess," he said. Annabeth thought that she had seen him around the castle a few times, but there were so many of them that she couldn't be sure. "She told me to bring you to her."

Annabeth sighed, "Of course. I'm making my way there now, no need to worry."

"I'm supposed to escort you there, milady."

She rolled her eyes, "Lead the way then."

The guard stayed relatively close to her side until they walked into the front gates. They passed several other people who were rushing around probably preparing the castle and kingdom for the wedding. Once they walked into the castle, the guard turned toward the North wing and headed for the staircase.

Annabeth hesitated. No one ever went to the North wing of the castle. Annabeth herself had only been up there a few times, and even though she had only seen stone walls, there was something about it that she didn't like.

The guard noticed her hesitation and tossed an easy smile back at her, "Come along, princess. The queen is right this way."

A strange feeling settled in her stomach, and she hesitated again. Why would her mother be up there? It didn't make any sense to Annabeth.

But why would the guard lie to her?

Annabeth nodded and followed him up the stairs.

Ω

They were climbing the second set of stairs when Annabeth realized that the strange feeling in her stomach was getting worse. She realized it was dread, and before she could stop walking, the guard shifted even closer to her.

She stopped walking and turned back to get away from him. Instead, he moved _even closer _and smiled at her. His smile was cold and creepy instead of warm and welcoming.

"What are you doing?" She asked, injecting _steel _into her voice.

"Follow me, princess," he said. "Not much farther now."

She shook her head and backed down a few of the steps, "No. Just tell my mother to come get me in my quarters. I'm not feeling well."

"Ah," he said sadly, following her down. "I am sorry to say that I can't do that. You see, princess, we are not actually going to see your mother."

Annabeth was shaking as she walked further down the stairs. Just as she turned to run, she saw him lunge for her out of the corner of her eye.

"Father! Mother! _Percy_!" She screamed desperately. Her yells echoed off of the walls, and she expected them to be there the next second.

Except they weren't because they were probably too far away. And even then Annabeth felt the guard's arms gripping her tightly. He slammed her head against the stone wall, and she couldn't see anything anymore.

Ω

Annabeth woke up with a pounding headache and a piece of cloth tied around her mouth. Her hands and ankles were also tied together, and she was lying on her side on the cold ground.

At first, she was really confused. Where was she? How had she gotten here?

Then she thought it was a dream, and she _begged _herself to wake up.

After that, she remembered what had happened.

Why had that guard carried her up here? What was he planning on doing to her? And why was he doing it? There wasn't a logical reason at all and—

Annabeth sat up straight.

Once when Annabeth was about twelve years old, her family had been walking through Kaaowynn for their yearly celebration. Her mother and brothers were being carried in a caravan, but Annabeth and her father were walking behind it with some guards. Throughout the parade, they stopped and greeted the people of Kaaowynn. When they had gotten to the one of the poorer parts of the kingdom, they were greeting some of the people. Her father had been talking to two older men, and then a blonde boy a little older than her had rushed toward her and snatched her necklace off of her neck. Of course, Annabeth had reacted faster than the guards had, and she tripped him so he fell face first. The guards had grabbed him and dragged him away, beating him already. The boy met her gaze, begging her to make it stop, but she hadn't said anything at all to stop them.

It seemed so insignificant. Annabeth hadn't thought about it in years.

_That's _why Annabeth thought she recognized the blonde guard. She had subconsciously remembered him from that incident years ago. There were way too many guards for her to recognize them on sight.

Is that why he was here? What was—?

"So you've remembered."

Annabeth snapped her neck around to see him standing by the window, staring at her. There was a shadow falling across his face, but there was just enough light for her to be able to see his blue eyes and the small scar on his face.

"Or maybe you didn't," he began, walking toward her and bending down in front of her. "Maybe it was so unimportant that you can't even begin to understand why this is happening to you. Should I remind you?"

She flinched when he reached forward and tore her necklace off. Annabeth's eyes watered, and her lips trembled underneath the gag when the pearls that Percy had given her flew everywhere.

"Oh, I see," he said smugly. "Your prince must have given you this, yes? Pity, isn't it? That you won't get to marry him or ever see him again."

Annabeth steeled her nerves and narrowed her eyes. She screamed curses at him through her gag, but her voice was too muffled, making him laugh even more.

"You always had it too easy, Princess Annabeth. You should have tried to live in _my _world, wondering when your next meal would be, thinking about how much you would trade a beating for a decent coat to keep your arms from rotting off in the cold. You wouldn't have survived for two minutes," he said, standing up and kicking her in the ribs until she fell onto her back. "And your royal family never did anything to help, did they? You father just sat by while my people lived on the streets, eating scraps and begging for money. He could have helped us. He could have done _anything_, but now it's too late."

She watched as he moved to the window again, "I watched my family die around me because I couldn't do anything to help them, and now, your family is going to watch you die as well."

Annabeth started scooting toward the far wall while he wasn't paying attention. He kept talking instead. "They're going to feel _our _wrath. Your royal family is going to know the pain of losing everything. And then, my people will rise from the ashes and destroy everything that Kaaowynn doesn't need, starting with our pathetic princess."

He turned around sharply, catching the ties on her ankles with his feet and stopping her from moving. He grinned, "I assume that means you're ready to go, yes? I was planning on waiting for nightfall. But it would be more dramatic if I just walked right out with you in broad daylight."

Before Annabeth could respond in any sort of way, the guard bent down and snatched her by the ropes that bound her hands together. He hauled her up until she was on her feet.

She elbowed him in the stomach, grinning briefly when she heard an _oof. _She moved to run, but he reached out and snatched her hair, tugging her back toward him until she collided with his body. Annabeth thought that he might catch her (she really should have known better) but the guard shoved her to the ground. Her shoulder cracked, and she thought that it fell out of the socket.

"A poor attempt, princess," he sneered at her. "Don't try it again."

Annabeth yelped in pain when he hauled her up off of the ground by her bad arm, like he knew exactly what was wrong.

Ω

They walked through the castle that was normally filled with sunshine and happiness, but today there was a scary silence drifting through the halls. Annabeth wasn't sure if it was because she was gone. She wondered if anyone had noticed yet.

The guard had her held close to him. He had a small dagger pressed into her side, cutting through the material of her dress. He was holding onto the rope that bound her hands together, and they were walking quickly. Even though he had been quite smug about leaving now, he was obviously nervous about it. She could tell that he kept moving his head, and he would urge her to move faster when the slightest sound assaulted their ears.

They were on the fifth floor of the castle, moving toward the staircase. Annabeth wasn't sure if he was planning on going out of the front gate (which would probably be a disaster and kill the both of them) but before he could do anything else, Annabeth heard footsteps coming down the hall toward them.

"I've sent out all of my guards, but they haven't found anything," a voice said.

"Let me go search for her," another voice answered. It was filled with anger and despair. "Something must have happened. She did not leave me here."

_Percy!_ It was Percy and her father walking toward her! All she needed to do was get their attention!

Annabeth screamed Percy's name as loud as she could through her gag. She heard their footsteps pounding against the ground, and their voices echoing off of the stone wall.

The guard cursed and jerked her backward and toward the window. He sheathed his knife and started to unwrap the ropes from her wrists and ankles. Just as she was moving to run away, he jerked her backwards by her hair and she yelled again. Her tiara fell to the floor when he pulled her again.

The guard was holding on to one end of the rope as he maneuvered out of the window. There was a small ledge there to stand on, and he forced Annabeth out onto with him. Just as she was being pulled outside Percy and her father rounded the corner.

_"__Annabeth!" _Percy screamed, sprinting toward her. He had his sword drawn, and when he got to the window, he thrust his hand out to catch her.

She was crying. The guard was below her now, hanging from the rope that was still attached to her ankles. His weight was making it harder and harder to stand, and she fell down so she was grasping the ledge with her hand.

Percy climbed out of the window and caught her hand again. He was holding onto the window seal, and he was shouting her name against the wind. His fingers gave, and for a scary second, Annabeth thought that he might fall with them.

The guard below them was yelling to, and he yanked on the rope. Annabeth felt like her body was going to rip in half. She needed to let go. She needed Percy to pull her up right now. She needed—

But the guard wasn't going to let her go that easily. She looked down to see him inching his way up the rope, and Annabeth knew that once he had his hand on her ankle, he would pull all three of them down.

Annabeth used all of her strength to throw her other arm up to grip Percy's hand. He pulled harder, but he frowned in confusion when her other hand slipped to his hand that was grasping her fingers.

She felt a hand on her ankle, and right before the guard jerked her, she loosened Percy's fingers from her wrist.

She hoped that he could see the apology and love in her eyes. She shouted that she loved him through her gag, and the last thing that she saw was the desperate look on his face and his lips speaking her name.

Ω

It was dark when Annabeth woke up.

It took her a few minutes to adjust to her surroundings, but after a while, she could tell that she was in some sort of barn. She was lying on a pile of hay, and her hands and feet were tied to a wooden beam. Her shoulder was aching, and she could see a shade of blue crawling up her neck. She would hate to see what the bruises looked like directly on her shoulder.

What had happened? Had the guard died in the drop? Or had he lived and dragged her here to wherever this place was?

Annabeth looked around slowly, trying not to twist her shoulder any more than she had to. The barn looked run down. There weren't any animals inside of it (that she could see, there were probably rats and mice and things) and it looked like the ceiling was caving in in some spots. She could see the stars in one spot that was particularly big. She wondered if Percy was looking at them too.

She shouldn't have been thinking about Percy, but she couldn't help it. She was upset that she wasn't with him. But at least she had saved him earlier. She would rather be here held captive than Percy be hurt or dead from falling with them.

Annabeth was surprised that her feelings were this intense. Yesterday, she hadn't even known if she could ever love him like a wife should, and now, barely a day later, she didn't know if she could survive without him here. She _missed _him. She hoped that he knew that because she probably wouldn't see him again.

Was this man really going to kill her? Somehow, Annabeth didn't doubt it. If he had gone through with it this far, then he would finish it.

As she looked around, she noticed a lantern hanging on the barn wall. There was a soft light coming from the lantern, illuminating a door on the far side.

Her eyes flitted away from it, back to where she was sitting, but a soft glint of light caught her attention.

About two feet away from her, there was a piece of metal buried in the hay. If she could get to it, could she use it to cut the ropes? Then could she get to the door? Could she get back to the castle on her own? Back to Percy?

Annabeth grinded her thoughts to a stop. There was no sense in getting her hopes up. She needed to take everything one step at a time if she had any plans on getting back home to Percy.

First, she needed the metal.

Carefully, she twisted her body around, trying not to jar her shoulder or arm. She slowly moved her legs and body until she was facing the spot where she thought that the metal was laying. Even though her legs were still tied to the post, she managed to get one out of the rope that was binding her body to the post. Slowly, she stretched her leg out toward the metal. It took a few tries, but she managed to get it into her hands soon enough.

She struggled with cutting the rope, but once it was done, she stood up uneasily. Her shoulder was hurting, and it was throwing her off balance. She stumbled over to the door, clutching the small piece of metal in her hand in case she needed a weapon.

Annabeth opened the door slowly, but the squeaking that it made ruined her chances at being subtle.

On the other side of the door, there was a room about half the size of the barn. It was dimly light by a few lanterns. In the middle of the room there was a table, and on top of the table, there was a small boy lying there. He was coughing loudly and shivering violently. There were two other people in the room. On the opposite side of the table, there was a tall girl standing. She was holding the small boy's hand, but she was looking at the man that was sitting on the other side of the table form her. She had short, black hair, and she was staring at the other man intently.

Annabeth froze when she recognized the man that was at the table. It was the blonde guard that had taken her from the castle!

The black haired girl looked over his shoulder and met her gaze for a split second.

Then she turned around.

The guard was talking softly, and Annabeth couldn't believe that this vicious man that had taken her away from Percy had a soft side. How could he have taken her away when he had a family like this?

Annabeth should have ran right then. She should have taken the chance and bolted out of the door like a normal person would have. She shouldn't have wasted any time, and even though he probably would have caught her, she should have at least _tried. _

But there was something about this scene that had Annabeth frozen in place.

This little boy was deathly sick, Annabeth was sure of that. How many other people in this part of the kingdom had the same sickness? How many other people of Kaaowynn were dying because of the conditions they had to live in? Maybe it _was _Annabeth's family's fault. Maybe the guard was right when he said that they needed to rid Kaaowynn of them.

The black haired girl turned back around and glanced at Annabeth briefly before turning her attention back to the guard. She said, "You shouldn't do this. It's not worth killing the princess. Just take her back to the castle and ask for the medicine that we need in exchange for her."

"That would work, but what about next year when he gets sick again because of the cold? Do you think that I can just kidnap another member of the royal family and it will work again? Why not correct the whole system while the chance is here?" He said, lying his head down on the table.

"Because there isn't a _reason _to do that," she argued. "Just because things did not work out this year, doesn't mean that it won't the next."

"It _won't _be any different next year, and you know that as well as I do," he said roughly. "I'm going to do it for you and your brother."

_"__Don't _do this in my name. This doesn't need to happen. You will die."

The guard got up from the table and walked over to the girl. His back was still to Annabeth when he framed the girl's face and leaned closer to her. She looked up at him gently when he whispered, "I will be fine. I need to do this for our family."

Annabeth winced when the floorboards squeaked as she moved over them. She had been edging her way to the door, but now, both of their heads turned toward her.

The guard's soft interior disappeared as he shoved the girl behind him and pulled out his sword, leveling it at Annabeth's throat from across the table.

His hard voice was back, "And where do you think that you're going, princess?"

Annabeth found her voice, "Take me back to the castle. You can exchange me for the medicines and supplies that you need. They will do anything to get me back."

"Exactly. They will do anything, so why should I limit that to supplies and medicines? Why not take control now when the opportunity is present?" He sneered.

Annabeth let her eyes flicker down to the boy that was sleeping fitfully on the table, "Because your family only has so long left. Why waste the opportunity to heal him? If you go through with this there is a definite probability that both you and I will die in the process. Both of them will be dead by the end of the week without you here."

He was across the table in less than three seconds, pressing the blade into her throat until a small trickle of blood seeped down her neck. He growled, "I knew there was a reason that I kept a gag on you."

"Luke," the black haired girl said suddenly. She walked over to them and pulled the sword away from Annabeth's neck. "You can't do anything with her if she's dead. Put the sword away."

The guard moved closer to her until he was right in her face. His voice was deadly when he said, "You are going to stay in this room until I return to fetch you. Try and run and I will make _sure _that you don't have anything to go back to, especially that prince that you care about so much."

Annabeth nodded mutely. He reached down and plucked the metal out of her hand before he turned to the black haired girl. He said, "Keep her here until I get back."

He didn't wait for an answer before he stomped away and out of the door.

Annabeth and the other girl remained silent for a few more minutes. She continued to stare at Annabeth until she said, "I would let you go right now, but he would never forgive me. He thinks that this is the only way."

"His way is going to get both of us killed," Annabeth said.

The other girl nodded and looked away, "I know."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Annabeth motioned to the boy on the table, "What is wrong with him?"

She seemed to stiffen at the question, but she must have realized that Annabeth was really asking because she said, "Red Fever. It is common in this part of the kingdom this time of year."

Annabeth had never heard of it, but it was really no surprise. There were many different names for all types of diseases, and if Annabeth or her family were ever sick then they sent for the doctor right away. She didn't share that with this girl.

"Are you hungry?" The girl asked.

She nodded immediately. She hadn't had anything since her apple that morning, and it was long gone.

The girl spared a small smile and moved toward the stove in the corner of the room. She dipped something out of a pot and into a bowl before she handed it to Annabeth. She motioned to a chair, and Annabeth sat at the table at the little boy's feet.

"My name is Thalia, by the way," she said as she sat down at the other side of the table.

"I'm Annabeth," she said quietly.

Thalia rolled her eyes, "Well I knew that, princess."

Ω

Annabeth wasn't having the worst time, which was very strange.

In another life, Annabeth thought that Thalia could have been very good friends. She was kind of like the sister that Annabeth had never had. It was crazy that she was thinking like this, but there was just something about Thalia that Annabeth thought was special.

Since Annabeth was a princess and she never really had to deal with any of this stuff, she let Thalia talk most of the time. Thalia explained how she had met the guard (his name was Luke, but Annabeth was not going to call him that) when she was smaller. They had both been without families, and when they got to Kaaowynn they settled in with a few other people that took them in. She talked about how the sickness got to be too much for them sometimes and how they struggled to survive. Thalia hesitated over explaining about how the guard had changed recently, but it came spilling out after a while.

Annabeth had a feeling that Thalia didn't talk about her feelings very much. Actually, Annabeth thought that Thalia probably didn't talk that much at all. It was kind of strange that she was letting go off all of her thoughts in front of a stranger, but maybe that was the best way to help yourself. Tell a complete stranger your life story because they don't know you, then they couldn't judge you. It seemed like it was easy for Thalia.

After a while, Thalia got tired of talking and demanded for the silence to be filled with some of Annabeth's stories. Annabeth felt kind of weird talking because really, Thalia's life had no comparison to hers. What was she supposed to talk about? How upset she was that she wasn't going to have a wedding? How disappointing that her dress had gotten torn and muddy?

She finally settled on talking about Percy. She told Thalia about their friendship, and then she explained how she felt when she learned that they were to be married. The older girl took everything in stride and never once criticized her about anything.

"You really love him, don't you?" Thalia asked sometime later.

Annabeth nodded and stared down at the table, "Yes."

"And Luke just…" Thalia trailed off. Her eyes had a faraway look in them, like she was thinking about something else.

"Yes," Annabeth said. "His plan is going to get both of us killed. I'll never see Percy again, and you'll never see him."

Thalia gave her a hard look, "That doesn't mean that I can just let you go now. He would never forgive me, and, Annabeth, my brother is _dying_."

"I can get you the medicine," she said. "Just get me back to the castle, and I can promise that your brother will survive. We can even tell the guard that I distracted you and I escaped on my own. I won't say one word about who did it, just _please. _I need to get back to—"

Annabeth stopped suddenly when the door squeaked open. Thalia was studying her, and she probably would have given in after a few more minutes. But now Annabeth's chance was gone.

The guard shut the door behind him and walked over to Annabeth. He tied a gag around her mouth again, and she didn't even bother to fight this time.

Thalia stood up and said, "Luke, don't. Let's take her back to the castle. She can get us the medicine that we need, and we can make her promise not to say your name in any of this. It will be just like it never happened."

He shook his head and tied another rope around her wrists. He didn't look her in the eyes this time, but once he had finished, he walked around the table to Thalia.

He stepped so close to her, Annabeth thought that he might kiss her. Instead, he put to fingers under her chin and tipped her head up, whispering, "Don't make me lock you up here."

"You wouldn't dare," Thalia said quietly.

He didn't answer, but he did press a quick kiss to her forehead before he moved away and turned toward Annabeth.

"Let's go," he said.

Annabeth stared at Thalia for a second. Then she stood up.

Ω

The streets were full even though it was dark. Annabeth thought that it had to be some time around midnight, but she didn't understand why there were so many people around. Had the guard told everyone what he was planning?

And technically, what _was _he planning? Was he going to kill her in the name of a revolution? Was he going to let her go? What was going on?

Right now, they were walking down the street. The guard had a knife held to her back and pushed her along with his grip on her arm. Some people from the crowds were reaching out and touching her hair and her dress and her body, and Annabeth wanted to throw up. But, that would probably kill her because of the gag that was stuffed in her mouth.

He had not elaborated on where they were going. They had left Thalia standing in the kitchen, looking after her brother. Annabeth thought that she might have tried to stop him, but she hadn't moved when he had pulled out the knife and herded Annabeth out of the door and into the street.

Annabeth wondered if her father knew what was going on in this side of the kingdom. Did he have guards out here right now? How hard would it be for Annabeth to find one and get their attention?

She strained her hands against the ropes around her wrists, but the guard noticed and leaned down and said, "Don't think about it, princess. These other people can be a lot more vicious than I can."

Finally, they arrived in a stone clearing. There was a tall pole in the middle of the square, and there were people gathered around the edges. There were a few men standing closer to the pole, and Annabeth was suddenly terrified of what was going to happen.

"Castellan!" One of the men hollered, "It's true!"

"Of course it's true," the guard spoke. "Did you think it was not?"

"We did not," another one said. He was holding a torch so his face was slightly illuminated. Annabeth could see that he was missing a few teeth. "But it is."

The guard pushed her toward the other men and shoved her down to the ground beside the pole. After a few kicks to her ribs, he re-tied her hands around the pole so she couldn't move.

"Did you draw the king here?" The guard asked the other men.

Annabeth made a noise against her gag, but one man sent a swift kick to her stomach.

"Yes," the older man said. "They are riding through the streets as we speak. What is your plan?"

The guard studied Annabeth, and she stared straight back at him. He said, "Let her father and fiancé watch as I kill her. Then we will kill the both of them before we take the castle for our own."

Annabeth felt like she was going to be sick again. She wished that her father and Percy wouldn't come. She prayed that the guards would convince them to turn around and leave her here. She would rather die ten times than for them to be hurt. It wasn't worth it.

The people in the square started yelling, and Annabeth could hear the pounding of horses over the ground a few yards away.

No. They needed to turn around.

The crowd grew louder, and a few of the men stepped away from Annabeth, leaving her on the ground alone. She struggled against the ropes even though her ribs and shoulder were screaming for her to stop. A few tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, but it didn't stop her from yanking the ropes.

One of her hands slipped free.

"Halt, citizens!" A guard from the castle yelled. "Make way for the king!"

Protests and obscenities rose from the rioters. The guard stood his ground.

Annabeth stared at her free hand in shock, but when a shadow fell across her body from one of the torches, she slipped her hand back in the rope and pretended like she was struggling.

Several of the men that had been standing over her slipped away to join the crowd that was threatening the guard. When she turned around to look, there was only one man standing behind her, and he was turned around, yelling at another group of people.

The guard shoved through some of the people. As they were busy with him, Annabeth heard even more hooves in the distance.

No one else seemed to notice. In less than a second there were at least a hundred of the king's soldiers riding through the square. They came from the side streets and surrounding stones walkways. They rode in in full battle armor, brandishing swords and shields. A few of the men started fighting, but most of them dashed away. The women and children that were present in the square cowered against the stone walls.

Annabeth realized that her father had treated this like a revolt against the kingdom without even knowing what was going on. He had planned on coming inside this part of the kingdom and destroying anything until he found her. He would have caused a mass genocide to some of his people if that meant getting her back.

That was a very dangerous thing for a king to think. He was supposed to put the kingdom—not his family—first. He was supposed to protect them and listen to them, not order their destruction.

Which, Annabeth amended that this was an entirely different situation. This was only a small portion of the kingdom, and they _were _revolting against them. She supposed that he had considered everything before he set to hurt anyone under his command.

"Time to go, princess," the man behind her said. He was grinning insanely and holding a sword. "I guess I get to keep you for myself."

As he cut her feet loose from the pole, Annabeth heard someone yelling.

_"__Where is Princess Annabeth? WHERE IS SHE?"_

She looked over her shoulder. Percy was standing in the square, holding his sword to the throat of the guard that had taken her. The guard just shook his head and whispered something.

Annabeth could see Percy shaking in rage. His eyes were flashing dangerously. He would probably kill the guard in less than a minute.

The man behind her hauled her to her feet, jerking Annabeth back to reality. If this man took her, then she would never be found. This was her only chance.

Annabeth turned around and punched the man in the throat. She grappled for the sword while he was clutching his neck, and once it was in her hand, she swing it toward his legs. He screamed and fell to the ground.

In all the chaos, Percy nor the guard noticed her escape. They were still in the middle of the square. As she watched, Percy shoved him to the ground and raise his sword over his head.

But Percy couldn't see the person that was running up behind him with a knife and—wait. Was that _Thalia?_

Annabeth ripped the gag from her mouth and started sprinting toward them.

She intercepted Thalia just before her knife took him in the small of his back. She shoved her away with the sword, but Thalia was on her feet in less than a second.

"Thalia! Get out of here!" The guard yelled from the ground.

Percy turned his head, and his eyes widened when he saw her. He dropped his sword and reached out for her.

But the guard on the ground rolled away. Annabeth watched as he pulled a knife from his belt and rolled up onto his knees.

She shoved Percy to the side and jumped in between him and the knife. It hit her in the shoulder, and she doubled over in pain. She used her sword and swiped it across his throat. He fell to the ground. Behind her, Thalia screamed.

_"__Luke! NO!"_ She shouted, falling to the ground beside him. Annabeth watched as she cradled his head in her lap. There were tears falling down her face. The guard had his eyes held open, but as Annabeth watched, they closed and he didn't move again.

Somehow, Annabeth was still on her feet. She was standing in between Thalia and Percy, but when she turned around, Percy was fighting another two guys and yelling for some of the guards to help.

Annabeth was shoved to the ground.

She looked up and found Thalia running toward Percy with the knife.

Annabeth scrambled to her feet and sprinted after her. She didn't make it.

"Percy!" She screamed. He turned around, just in time to take a knife in his stomach.

Thalia yelled and raised the knife again, but Annabeth jumped.

They fell to the ground, and she felt the knife cut across her skin too. It was finally too much for Annabeth, and with plenty of screaming, yelling, and shouting from the people around the square, her eyes closed. She didn't move again.

Ω

Annabeth woke up.

She looked around slowly, wincing as she moved both of her shoulders. Both of them were bandaged tightly, and her ankle was wrapped with bandages as well. She was lying in a bed, but she wasn't in her chambers. The room was bare stone, and there were windows on the opposite side of the wall. There were several other beds in the room, but they were all empty. Beside her bed, there was a chair and—

Percy was sitting in the chair beside her. He was leaning back, and his head was resting against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed. His breathing was deep. He was wearing a shirt that was unbuttoned, but he had several thick bandages stretching across his stomach and chest.

She left out a relieved sigh. They were both okay. They were both safe, and they were together. That was all that mattered.

Her eyes fluttered, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Ω

Annabeth flinched when someone touched her back. Percy weaved his fingers through hers, and she tried to relax.

When she had woken up the next time, her mother, father, and Percy had all been there. They had demanded to know what happened, and Annabeth explained it in a monotone voice. Percy held her hand the whole time. His eyes didn't leave hers either. After she had finished her side of the story, her father had explained what happened up until she fight in the square. Percy took over then, and he told her that both Luke and Thalia were dead. Apparently, when Annabeth had jumped on Thalia, the blade of the knife had pierced her in the chest and in Annabeth's stomach at the same time.

It was strange. Of course, the guard had kidnapped her from the castle—and from Percy—so he deserved his fate, but Thalia… Annabeth had thought that Thalia could have been somebody that she helped. Annabeth thought that they had had a connection. And… Annabeth had _killed _her.

Percy and her family had looked at her like she was crazy when she demanded to go back to the place where the guard had taken her. But if Thalia was dead, then there was no one to take care of her little brother. He could be dead now.

Percy had agreed to take her. They were walking there now, and there were almost a dozen guards that her father sent with them surrounding the area they were in. The guard had dragged her here while she had been unconscious, but they had walked to the square. So that's where Percy and Annabeth started this time. She did her best to retrace her steps, and before she knew it, they were standing in front of a small house wedged closely between others that looked exactly like it. Her heart was beating frantically, but she stepped forward and twisted the doorknob.

The heavy wooden door swung open to reveal the room that Annabeth had stayed in with Thalia. Several chairs were lying broken on the floor, and things from the stove were sitting on the ground too.

Annabeth shifted her gaze to the table. The little blonde boy was still lying on top of it in almost the same exact position. It had been almost two days since she had been here so… was he even going to be alive?

"Is that—?" Percy started.

She stepped forward and nodded. Once she got closer, she could see his small chest rising and falling. She let out a sigh.

"Call for the guards," she said to Percy, setting her hand against the boy's forehead. His skin was abnormally warm.

"We're taking him with us?"

"Yes," she said. Percy stepped outside and called for several of the guards.

Annabeth watched as the guards came inside and carefully scooped up the boy. She wondered if he would be thankful that she saved his life since the only family that he had was dead.

She felt Percy step up behind her when the guards were gone. One of his arms slipped around her waist, and he laid his head against her back.

"Come on, Annabeth," he said softly, standing up and pulling her toward the door. "Let's go."

Ω

It had been two weeks since they had brought back Thalia's little brother. Annabeth had officially met him a few days ago. Once they had gotten him to the castle, the doctors had managed to cure his fever. His name was Jason, and he was seven years old.

Her mother and father had decided to adopt him as sort of an apology. Since he had no other family, he would have been out in the slums of Kaaowynn. (Well, he wouldn't have because Annabeth would have taken him with her to Oceania if she had to.)

Percy had left for Oceania. He had been gone for almost a week. There had been some business to attend to in Oceania, and since they were both injured, they had put off the wedding.

Well, until tomorrow. Percy was supposed to be on his way back now.

Her shoulder had healed up since she had gotten back. The cut on her stomach and the other one on her shoulder had healed without any infection either. Her ankle was still sore, and the doctors had braced it with a plastered cast. Things could be worse.

"Annabeth?"

She turned her head. She was sitting in a chair beneath a window, reading a book. The doctors had ordered her to stay off of her foot for as long as possible.

Her mother was standing in the door, leaning into the library with a smile on her face. She walked into the room and over to Annabeth, planting a kiss on her forehead and brushing her hair behind her ear.

"What was that for?" Annabeth asked.

Her mother swiped a tear off of her cheek before she smiled gently. Her voice was thick when she said, "I love you."

Ω

Annabeth was finally alone. The music had started, and she could hear her guests commenting and adoring the flower girls and all of her bridesmaids. Since she was having a royal wedding, there was an extremely long processional before she even stood at the back of the aisle.

She was wearing her wedding dress, and it looked amazing. The designer had truly outdone himself. There was a lace veil covering her face.

Suddenly, the door cracked open and someone said, "Princess Annabeth."

She moved toward it, and there was a servant standing there with a small smile on her face. She held out her hand, "You look so beautiful. This is from Prince Perseus."

Annabeth gasped when the servant placed a pearl necklace into her hands.

"Oh my," she muttered. She looked up at the girl, "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, my lady."

The servant closed the door behind her. Annabeth traded out her diamond necklace for the pearls.

Ω

"I do," Annabeth said. Her voice wobbled.

Percy's smile stretched across his face, and there were tears in his eyes. He said, "I do."

Ω

Annabeth closed her eyes as the wind blew her hair back. She listened to the waves crash against the rocks. The sun was bleeding into the dark sky. It was beautiful.

They had left Kaaowynn the morning after their wedding. The journey back to Oceania had been shorter than she remembered from when she was younger, probably because she had spent the time in Percy's arms.

Saying goodbye to her family had been the worst part. Her father and mother had tried to remain calm, but they had both cried once she had walked away with Percy. Her brothers had hugged her goodbye and demanded a gift the next time that she saw them. Even Jason had gotten a little sad that she was leaving, but he was her brothers' ages, and he fit in with them nicely.

Now, she was standing in her new bedroom that she shared with Percy. The view was beautiful, and Oceania had been everything that she had remembered and more. She knew that she would love it here.

Percy had been the best part of this whole thing. He was making everything so easy, and he was constantly worrying about her. It was annoying sometimes, but it just reminded her that he cared about her. If he stayed the same as he was now, she would have no trouble falling even more in love with him.

She felt a pair of arms slide around her waist, and he pressed his lips to her neck.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She smiled and hummed happily, "I'm perfect."

"I love you," he breathed against her skin, hugging her tighter.

Annabeth turned in his arms and smiled up at him, "I love you too."

Ω

When Annabeth was little, her mother would always tell her stories about princesses and princes getting happily ever after endings. Even though her story wasn't as simple as some of the princesses' in the story, when she woke up next to Percy and the first thing that he told her was that he was really hungry, she didn't see how it could get much better.

why do i even bother with asking where the line break is it's never coming back

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave a review!**


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